Electrical connector



. /E/cy. 6' IN VEN TOR March 2, 1948. E 1 ALLEN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 10

Patented Mar. 2, 1,948

Edward J. Allen, Cleveland, Ohio, assignorto-The Lecce-Neville Company, Cleveland,.0hio, a; corporationof Ohio pplication-January 10, 1945, Serial No'. 572,137

2. Claims. 1c

This, invention relates to"detachableror sepa'- rable `electrical connectors of the typey embodying a plur-ality of contacts and aims' tofprovide an improved device of this. kind, wherein the cooperating contacts are carried by telescoping. housing members andzserve as al means for releasably connectingthe housing members with each' other.

Another object of' this invention is to-provide an improvedl connector of' this character, in which the cooperating contacts have lockingy elements thereon adapte'dztofbe engagedor disengaged by relative rotary.A movement between the. housing. members.

A further object of, the-present inventionis' to prov-ideanimproved connector of' this kind, em-v bodying resilient meansfor maintaining a desired pressure on the-contactsA and whichresil.- ientmeans is substantially uneifected:l by the electric current or by thermal conditionsexist ing in or adjacent the device;

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will bea-apparent from the'zfollowingjdescription' whentakenin conjunction withfthe accompanyingsheet: ofdrawings; wherein' Fig. 1 is a top plan view of connector con structed according to the presentinvention Fig. 2 isa sideelevationt ofl thefdevice;

Fig. 3 is abottom plan-view. thereof;

Fig. 4 isa longitudinal sectional view taken through the'devicefsubstantially asindicated by line 4.-4-of Fig. 1;

Fig.. 5-is a perspective" vieW-showingthef device' partly, in. section. and with the"` housing members separated from each: other;

Fig. 6- is a perspective View showing one of the female contactflmembersin detached relation;,and

Fig. '7 is a partial longitudinal sectional View similar to Fig. 4; butshowinga modified con-- struction.:

Asshown in the embodiments illustratedy in number ofthe-contact members I2 andr I3, and` inthis instancepthehousing member I0' carries three vof the male contactF members I2'a, I zband I2C, and-the housing'member. II carries three of the;-female contact members' I 3a., |311, and 1 I3'c:

Before proceeding further with thel detailed description, it shouldbe' pointed out that the improvedconnector'canbe used for various purposes and in connection with different kinds of electrical devicesl and' equipment. It is especially suitable, however, for use with certain types of: generators, and inFig. 2 the connector' is shown with the housing member II thereof mounted onva structure I5which may be apartofthe particular electrical' apparatus with whichthe connector isi being used, and for example, may be aportion ofthe housing` or frame of a generator.

Themale housing member Ilmay be molded, or4 otherwise formed, from suitable material which is' of an electrically insulating characterl and which also has adequate strength and low thermal conductivity. This male housing member` includes an axially extending substantially cylindrical plug portion. IS- which carries the male contact members IZ-a, IZband I2C. The

male housing' member ISI.T may also include an outer sleeve or skirt portion- I'IV which surroundstheplug portion IB with an annular space or recess I8 therebetween. This annular space accommodates a resilientmember or washer E9 which serves both as a spring andA packing as- Will. bef further explainedy hereinafter. A second washer 20= formed` of fibre or other relatively tough or4 hard material is preferably also provided inthe annular space I 8y in overlying or covering relation,` tothe washer I9.

The male contact members I2 are constructed with threaded stems 2l which arev disposed in spaced relation to each other and extend axially through the plugA` portion I6. These'stems cany be either molded'into the material constituting` Eplug portion. I6- for locking cooperation with the female contact members I3; as will be explained" hereinafter: The threaded stems 2I are provided'withsuitable clamping nuts 25 which serve to retain thecontact'm'embers in assembled'position: in-the-housing memberl and'also'facili-ik The ngers 22 are of a length such that theyI tate the attachment of electrical conduct-s to the stems of these contact members.

The female housing member I I is also molded, or otherwise formed, from insulating material having a low thermal conductivity and comprises a plate portion or base 21 and an axial sleeve portion 28 formed integral with the base. The base 21 is here shown as being quadrangular in shape and having openings 29 therein by which the female housing member can be attached to the structure I5, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of appropriate screws 3E). The cylindrical sleeve portion 28 is of a size to enter the cylindrical sleeve portion I1 of the housing member I and has limited relatively rotary movement therein. The sleeve portion 28 houses the female contact members 13a, |32) and I3c which are disposed therein in an annular series which receives and accommodates the plug portion i8 of the male housing member Iii.

As shown in the drawings, the female contact members I3 each comprise a flat segmental base or plate 32 and a curved axially extending plate or sleeve segment 33. The sleeve segments 33 have a curvature enabling the same to lie against, and conform to, the curved inner face of the sleeve 28 of the female housing member II. .At or adjacent the junction of the sleeve segments 33 with the bases 32, each of the female contact members is provided with an arcuately extending slot 34 of an axial width suflicient to permit the entry of the fingers 22 of the male contact members I2. The slots 34 preferably include axially extending locking recesses 35 in whichY the fingers 22 have seating engagement when the housing members I0 and II have been fully connected or engaged with each other.

As best seen in Fig. 5, the female contact members I3 are disposed in circumferentially spaced relation around the socket or recess of the sleeve portion 28, and the spacing of the sleeve segments 33 provides therebetween three axially extending slots or passages 36 of a width to receive the locking ngers 22 of the male contact members I2 when the housing members ID and II ,are brought into telescoping relation with each other. The bases 32 of the female contact members I3 are likewise disposed in'spaced relation and are preferably provided with threaded openings 31 for the reception of screws 38 which extend through the base 21 of the female housing member I I for retaining the female contact members in the above described relation in the sleeve portion 28. The bases of the female contact members are also provided with relatively larger openings 39 in which the stems iii of the headed element 4I are received and brazed or otherwise secured. The stems 40 extend through the base 21 of the female housing member and assist in holding the female contact members in proper position and the heads of these elements lie outside of or below the base 21 so that wires or other suitable electrical conductors can be readily connected therewith. 1

From the construction and relative arrangement above described for 'the cooperating housing members and contacts, it will be seen that by relative axial movement between the housing members, the locking lingers 22 of the male contacts I2 can be moved axially into the pasages 36 whereupon the plug portion i8 of the male housing member enters the sleeve portion 28 of the female housing member and the sleeve Dortion I1 of the male housing member slidably moves over the sleeve portion 28; By applying axial pressure to the two housing members, the end of the sleeve portion 28 can be made to engage the washer 20 and compress or deflect the underlying resilient washer or spring I9. While this axial pressure is being maintained, the housing member i8 is rotated relative to the housing member il, in a clockwisedirection as seen in Fig. 5, to cause the fingers 22 to enter the arcuate slots 34 of the female contact members. When the ngers 22 have been rotated to a point substantially in register with the locking recesses 35, the axial pressure is released to permit the ngers to seat in these locking recesses which thereupon hold the housing members against accidental relative rotation in the reverse direction. The expansive action of the resilient washer or spring I9 retains the fingers 22 in the locking recesses 35 and also causes the fingers 22 to be pressed against the female contact members with an appropriate or desired degree of pressure for obtaining a good electrical connection therebetween. As shown in the drawing the curved contact members I3 are of substantially the same axial length as the sleeve portion 28 and form a cylindrical lining therein in which the plug portion I@ is axially and arcuately slidable while the housing members are being connected together or disconnected. The sleeve portion I1 of the housing member I8 is also axially and arcuately slidable around the sleeve portion 28 of the housing member II so as to form a tight enclosure for the contact members.

In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the resilient member I9 is shown in the form of a washer made of yieldable material such as soft rubber or sponge rubber. When this member is subjected to axial pressure, as explained above, it forms a packing or seal in the annular recess I8 which prevents water or other fluid from entering the device and coming into engagement with the contacts therein. Instead of this rubber washer, a metal spring 43 can be used, as shown in Fig. '7. The spring 43 is made from a at strip and is in the form of a ring or washer having a Wavy or corrugated conguration which renders the same resilient and pliable.

It is usually desirable that the housing members It and lI be capable of telescoping engagement in one relative position only, so that the male contact members will engage the proper respective female contact members. This can be accomplished as by providing an axial rib or lug Q5 on the outer surface of the sleeve 28 and an axial slot or recess 46 on the inner surface of the sleeve I1. The recess 4B receives the rib 45 when the housing members I0 and II are brought into proper telescoping relation and permits sucient relative rotary movement between housing members to engage the fingers 22 in the locking recesses 35 of the female contact members I3.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily understood that the present invention provides an improved electrical connector of a simple and compact character which can be economically produced and which is strong and durable and will render very satisfactory service. It will be seen, moreover, that the male and female contact members of the device cooperate in a manner to provide a good electrical connection and also serve as a bayonet locking means for releasably holding the housing members in connected relation. Additionally, it will be seen that the resilient means embodied in the device for maintaining the desired pressure between the contact members is uneilected by either the electric current or by thermal conditions existing in or adjacent the device.

While I have illustrated and described my improved electrical connector in considerable detail, it will be understood of course that I do not Wish to be correspondingly limited but regard my invention as including all changes and modications coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An electrical connector comprising a housing member having a hollow cylindrical portion, a second housing memberrhaving a cylindrical plug portion adapted for relative rotary telescoping engagement in the hollow cylindrical portion of the rst housing member, a group of contacts mounted in the first housing member and having curved portions disposed in spaced relation in an annular series adjacent the wall of said hollow cylindrical portion and forming a cylindrical lining therein, said curved portions havingslots formed therein and which include substantially axially extending locking recesses, contacts carried by the plug portion'` of said second housing member and having locking projections engageable in said slots and adapted to seat in said locking recesses, and resilient means between said housing members and tending to cause axial separation thereof for holding said projections in said locking recesses, said plug portion being axially and arcuately slidable in said cylindrical lining during said relative rotary telescoping engagement, said second housing member :also having a sleeve portion extending coaxially around said plug portion and spaced therefrom and being ,arcuately and axially slidable around the hollow cylindrical portion of said rst housing member during said relative rotary telescoping engagement.

2. A connector of the character described comprising a housing member having a substantially cylindrical sleeve portion and a plug portion disposed substantially coaxially of said sleeve portion and separated therefrom by an annular space, a second housing member having a substantially cylindrical sleeve portion adapted to telescope into the sleeve portion and annular space of the rst housing member, a group of contacts lo.. cated inside the sleeve portion of the second housing member and having curved portions disposed in spaced relation in an annular series and lying adjacent the wall of the last mentioned sleeve portion and conforming substantially to the curvature thereof, said curved portions having slots therein which include substantially axially extending locking recesses, a group of contacts carried by the rst housing member and having stem portions extending through the plug portion thereof, projections on said stem portions and engageable in said slots and adapted to seat in said locking recesses, and annular resilient means located in said annular space and adapted to be ilexed during assembly of said housing members.

EDWARD J. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Jorgensen May 26, 1942 

